Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey PHASE 2 FIELDWORK REPORT Volume 1: Text and Figures for English Heritage (NHPCP project 3885) Adrian Chadwick and Toby Catchpole Contributions by Richard Brunning and Nigel Nayling Version 3.2 FINAL, February 2013 Document Control Grid Title: Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey. Phase 2 fieldwork report. Volume 1: text and figures. Project number: HEEP project 3885 2 Main Main authors: Adrian M. Chadwick and Toby Catchpole Archaeology Service Environment Directorate Gloucestershire County Council Shire Hall GLOUCESTER GL1 2TH Origination date: June 2011 Version: 3.2 Reviser: Toby Catchpole Date of last revision: February 2013 Status: FINAL. Version 3 Incorporates English Heritage comments on submitted draft v2, further radiocarbon dates produced in 2012, species identifications for non-oak timber samples and further discussion of these results.3.2 includes minor changes resulting from EH comments on 3.1. Copyright © Gloucestershire County Council and English Heritage 2013 English Heritage info. Circulation: Required Action: Approval: i Contents of Volume 1 Document Control Grid ............................................................................................... i List of figures ............................................................................................................ vi Tables ....................................................................................................................... vi Contents of Volume 2 - Plates .................................................................................. vii Contents of Volume 3 – Appendices ...................................................................... xxii Summary ...................................................................................................................1 1 Introduction and project background..................................................................3 2 Research aims and objectives ...........................................................................5 3 Summary of previous project phases ................................................................. 7 3.1 Introduction .........................................................................................7 3.2 Sites identified as requiring further study ............................................ 7 3.3 Excluded areas ...................................................................................8 4 Phase 2 fieldwork ..............................................................................................9 4.1 Scope of the Severn Estuary RCZAS.................................................. 9 4.2 Summary of survey areas ................................................................. 10 5 Communications and project products ............................................................. 13 5.1 Communications and outreach .......................................................... 13 5.2 Project products ................................................................................ 14 6 Health and safety ............................................................................................ 15 6.1 Risk management strategies ............................................................. 15 6.2 Health and safety equipment ............................................................ 16 6.3 Assessments of health and safety equipment and methodology ....... 17 7 Constraints ......................................................................................................19 7.1 Environmental designations .............................................................. 19 7.2 Landowner permissions .................................................................... 19 7.3 Other constraints on field survey work .............................................. 20 8 Methodology ....................................................................................................21 8.1 Methodological guidance .................................................................. 21 iii 8.2 Updated NMR and HER data ............................................................ 21 8.3 Preparatory and desk-based tasks .................................................... 21 8.4 Staff training ...................................................................................... 21 8.5 Phase 2a recording methodology ...................................................... 22 8.6 Phase 2a recording methodology – digital records ............................ 23 8.7 Phase 2 recording methodology ........................................................ 23 8.8 Sampling and artefact retention ........................................................ 24 8.9 Staffing ............................................................................................. 25 9 Fieldwork assessment ..................................................................................... 27 9.1 Access issues ................................................................................... 27 9.2 Recording accuracy and other IT issues ........................................... 27 9.3 The use of an all terrain vehicle ........................................................ 28 10 Recorded archaeological features ................................................................... 31 10.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 31 10.2 Net and line fishing related features .................................................. 31 10.3 Stone-built fish weirs ......................................................................... 33 10.4 Other stone-built fishing related structures ........................................ 36 10.5 Wooden stake and wattle fish traps................................................... 38 10.6 Conjoined ‘zigzag’ V-shaped wooden fish traps ................................ 44 10.7 Putt and putcher ranks ...................................................................... 45 10.8 Other possible wooden fishing-related structures .............................. 49 10.9 Additional fishing-related structures .................................................. 49 10.10 Mooring-related features ................................................................... 50 10.11 Wharves, quays, jetties and other waterfront/riverbank structures .... 51 10.12 Boats ................................................................................................53 10.13 Revetments, groynes and miscellaneous structures ......................... 55 10.14 Sea walls and flood defence banks ................................................... 56 10.15 Second World War features .............................................................. 57 10.16 Peat, palaeochannels and submerged forest deposits ...................... 58 iv 10.17 Finds scatters and eroding archaeological stratigraphy ..................... 67 10.18 Field systems, ridge and furrow, rhynes and gripes .......................... 68 11 Samples and artefacts ..................................................................................... 71 11.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 71 11.2 Wooden samples and artefacts ......................................................... 71 11.3 Ceramics ..........................................................................................96 11.4 Other finds collected ......................................................................... 97 12 Interpretation and discussion ........................................................................... 99 12.1 Negative evidence for archaeological features .................................. 99 12.2 Further discussions of fishing structures ......................................... 101 12.3 Cribbing and flood defence walls .................................................... 108 12.4 The ‘Great Wall of Elmore’ – Romano-British land reclamation? ..... 108 13 Assessment of distribution, preservation, potential and threat ....................... 113 13.1 Distribution ...................................................................................... 113 13.2 State of preservation ....................................................................... 114 13.3 Archaeological potential and further work ....................................... 115 13.4 Threats to archaeological assets and research ............................... 123 13.5 Potential impact of the Severn Estuary FRMS ................................ 125 14 Future work ................................................................................................... 133 14.1 Further English Heritage funded work ............................................. 133 14.2 Further curatorial monitoring ........................................................... 133 14.3 Further research-led investigations ................................................. 133 15 Bibliography .................................................................................................. 135 16 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................... 147 17 Abbreviations ................................................................................................ 149 Figures from ... 151 v List of figures Front Cover Recording V-shaped, stake-built fish traps at Beachley, Glos. Figure 1 Extent of coastline and Severn Estuary RCZAS project area. Figure